Flanged article



Aug. 14, 1951 G. H. PHELPS ETAL FLANGED ARTICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1946 INVENTORS 650665 h. HEL S GEOPGEJF/e/J'cH/IANA 2PM TTOR N l-V Aug. 14, 1951 G. H. PHELPS ETAL 2,564,372

' FLANG'ED ARTICLE Filed May 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ORNEY Patented Aug. 14, 1951 'FLAN GED ARTICLE George H. Phelps, Floral Park, and George Frisch mann, Queens Village, N. Y., assignors to Metropolitan Engineering Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 2 1946, Serial No. 666,728

1 Claim. 1

The invention herein disclosed relates to a flanged article and more particularly to a flanged article in which the flange is separately formed and united to the article. The invention also comprehends a method of making such an article.

There are many articles, utilized in various arts, that include a flange for the purpose of being united with other parts. Examples of such articles are pipes, valves and wheel hubs. Heretofore, and prior to this invention there have been in common use several methods for providing such articles with the required flange. In general, however, two methods have been employed, one is to form the flange separately and either bolt it to the article or provide mating screw threads on the article and flange; the other method is to form the flange as an integral part of the article by either forging the flange as a part of the article and machining, or machining the article from solid metal with the flange as a part of the article. While the latter method provides an integral flange which is in most cases highly desirable, particularly when the flange is subjected to stresses and strains, it is an expensive product because of the labor and material involved.

An object of this invention is to provide a flanged article of the general kind or type mentioned in which the flange is separately formed but so united to the article as to be, in effect, an integral part thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide a flanged article of the kind mentioned in which the flange is separately formed, and united to the article without utilizing any of the common expedients. A further object of the invention is to provide a method of forming a flanged article of this kind.

The foregoing objects and certain advantages that will hereinafter appear are realized in the flanged article illustrated in the accompanying drawing and embodying the invention, and in the method of the invention for forming this article which is described below, from which description a clearer understanding of the invention may be had.

The drawings include:

Fig. l which is an end view of a flanged article embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 which is a semi-longitudinal, axial section of the same taken on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 which is a side elevation, half in section, of a dish-shaped disc which forms the flange on the article in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 4 which is a side elevation, half in section, showing the article with the dish-shaped disc applied thereto and in position to form a flange; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 which illustrate successive steps in the forming of a dish-shaped disc such as illustrated in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 illustrating, half in section, a tubular member; Fig. 6 illustrating the beveling of one end edge thereof; and Fig. '7' illustrating the effect of the first cupping operation.

The flanged article illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing primarily consists of a supporting or central element I and a radial circumambient flange 2 which consists of an integral piece of metal. While the central element shown has a cylindrical outer surface, it may, of course, take other forms. The inner edge portion 3 of the flange 2 extends into and fills a circumambient or peripheral, flange-receiving groove, extending inwar-d from the outer surface of the central element, The particular groove illustrated is defined by a wall 4 that is inclined inwardly to the axis of the central element at an angle of approximately thirty degrees, and a substantially radial wall 5. While the wall 5 of the groove is termed substantially radial, it is in fact, for a purpose that will hereinafter appear, slightly inclined to the axis of the central element in a direction opposite to the inclination of the wall 4 so that the two walls converge at the innermost point or line of the groove. The inner edge portion of the flange fllls the groove and makes a very tight, forced fit in the groove. By virtue of the nature of the groove, extending inward from the surface of the central element, and the complementary inner edge portion 3 of the flange within the groove, axial movement of the flange with respect to the groove cannot occur, Because of the tight fit of the flange in the groove, relative rOtetional movement of the flange and central element cannot occur under tortional loads of considerable magnitude. For example, a flange of approximately six inches in diameter on a hub or central element of approximately three inches in diameter was tested under a tortional force of five thousand foot pounds, applied in a direction to effect relative movement of the two elements, without any effect thereon.

A flanged article embodying this invention, such, for example, as the flanged article illustrated in the drawing anddescribed above may be formed in accordance with the following method which is comprehended within and forms a part of the invention: A circumambient, radial groove, desirably of the shape shown and described above, is formed in the surface of the sup porting or central element. An annular, dishshaped, or frustro-conical disc 6 (Fig. 3) is also formed. Desirably, the inner end edge I of the disc 6 may be slightly thicker than the outer edge, the thickness tapering from the inner to the outer edge. In addition, it is desirable that the inner edge of the dish-shaped disc converge from the convexed or outer side 8 to the concaved or inner side 9 at an angle of approximatel thirty degrees. The dishing of the disc is such that the frustro-conical shape makes an angle of approximately thirty degrees to a plane transverse to the axis, an included angle of one hundred and twenty degrees. The smallest inner diameter of the annular dish-shaped disc, at the corner If], is such as to fit over and engage the edge H of the wall 4 of the groove in the central element.

The dish-shaped disc 5 (Fig. 4) is placed on the central element with the corner l engaging the edge I l of the groove in the central element and the opposite corner engaging the end wall 5. While so positioned the disc is flattened against the wall 5, that is, brought into a common radial plane. In flattening the disc, the metal rolls or pivots about the edge ll of the groove, the opposite edge slides on the slightly inclined wall 5, and the inner edge portion 3 fills the groove. The opening through the disc, by virtue of the flow of metal, contracts, firmly and securely gripping the central element. Excess metal flows over the end of the wall as shown by the broken line i 2 (Fig. 1). Such excess may be left or, as in the article shown in Fig. 1, it may be machined off to provide a more finished appearance.

While the dish-shaped, annular disc 6 may be made in various ways, as by punching and dishing a solid disc, or by coiling and welding a piece of metal, it may, for the purpose of avoiding waste, scrap metal, be formed, in accordance with this invention, from a cylindrical, tubular piece of metal of the proper thickness and diameter. Such a tubular piece or member [3 is shown in Fig. 5. This tubular piece is desirably formed of two semi-cylindrical pieces stamped from fiat stock and united together by electric resistance welding. The tubular member is formed into a dish-shaped disc by cupping operations. Prior to cupping the tubular piece to form the dish-shaped disc 6, the edge I 4 is beveled at an angle of approximately fifteen degrees. This is, of course, related to the particular shape of radial groove in the central element. The edge I4 may be shaped difierently for difierent shaped grooves in the central element.

With metal of approximately one-half inch in thickness, it has been found desirable to effect the cupping of the tubular piece, to produce the dish-shaped disc 6, in two stages. In the first cupping or pressing operation, the tubular element is given (Fig. 7) a frustro-conical shape of 4 an included angle of sixty degrees. A second cupping or pressing operation is then performed to form the dish-shaped, frustro-conical disc 6 having an included angle of one hundred and twenty degrees. This dish-shaped disc is then assembled on the central element as above described. 1

From the foregoing description of the flanged article embodying this invention and illustrated .in the drawing, and the method of forming such a flanged article comprehended within the invention and described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by this invention there is provided a flanged article in which the central element and flange are formed separately and assembled but which has the appearance and characteristics of an integral structure, and which is inexpensive to manufacture in comparison to like flanged articles having similar characteristics.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings and described above and in the steps of the method of the invention within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

We claim:

The method of forming a circumambient, radial flange on a central element, which method includes the steps of forming a circumambient groove in the central element, the groovehaving a bottom wall inclined to the axis of the central element and a substantially radial end wall, beveling one end edge of a tubular member inwardly, cupping the tubular memberto form an annular, dish-shaped disc with the beveled edge constituting the inner edge and of such diameter as to engage the edge of the inclined wall of the groove, placing the dish-shaped disc on the central element with the inner edge engaging the edge of the inclined wall of the groove, and flattening the disc while so positioned against the radial wall of the groove.

GEORGE H. PHELPS. GEORGE FRISCHMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wendel July 23, 

